Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Studies: Restless legs syndrome a 'real' condition - CNN.com

I found this interesting as I have had some relatively minor symptoms of RLS since I was in college. It's odd now that RLS getting so much attention, although I'm sure that's primarily due to big Pharma pushing their new wonder drug of the day. For the longest time, I figured it was just some freak thing and nobody else would even know what I was talking about if I tried to tell them.

I first time I remember any symptoms was my freshman year in college. I was lying in bed and started having a nearly uncontrollable urge to move my legs. I see now that people try to describe it, but I really think it defies explanation. How do you describe what an urge feels like? It'd be like trying to tell a eunuch what it feels like to be horny. Fortunately it went away, but over the years it would come and go. It never got bad enough that I was tempted to try to get help, but apparently others aren't so lucky. In fact, I don't believe I've ever mentioned it to anyone, even my wife, and I tell her everything.

I see that the Dartmouth guy in the story (gotta have that balance, heh) believes the diagnosis is overhyped. It may be, but I can't imagine how. If someone has ever experienced it, they'll identify with the commercials right away, if not, they probably don't have it.

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3 comments:

John Howard said...

This is going to make it much more difficult for me to laugh at the people in those commercials, you know.

michelline said...

Yeah, I always figured it was one of those things that people would be skeptical of. It's understandable as it sounds kind of crazy, even when it happens to you.

maurinsky said...

I had that sensation sometimes when I was a kid, just an absolute compulsion to move my legs around. But I haven't had anything like that in years.

I do know someone whose sleep is interrupted almost nightly because of RLS.